Hanover is planning a safety inspection: Make your voice heard!

Hanover is planning a safety inspection: Make your voice heard!

In Hanover, the city administration is planning a comprehensive safety inspection in the Südstadt-Bult district, which is scheduled for autumn/winter 2025/26. The measure is being carried out in close cooperation with the Hanover Police Department. The aim of this inspection is to improve the subjective perception of safety in the district, in particular by identifying unsafe places and the conditions regarding lighting and accessibility. As hannover.de reports, citizens are asked to submit their comments and suggestions by October 31st To be submitted by email in 2025. The feedback will be used to create a suitable route for the approximately two-hour visit.

The city administration invites everyone interested to take an active part. Not only unsafe places should be named, but also tripping hazards and paths that are difficult to access for strollers and wheelchairs. At the same time, positive examples of good lighting and accessibility can be cited. The inspection will take place accompanied by experts and residents.

The feeling of security is changing

The topic of security has become more important for many people in recent years. The perception of security is an individual feeling that is strongly influenced by various factors. According to a study on the perception of security in Germany, the subjective perception of (in)security is often dependent on social and technical changes. Between 2014 and 2016, for example, social fear of crime increased even though overall crime fell.

Concerns about crime have changed, particularly recently. Despite a declining trend in overall crime, many people's feelings of insecurity have increased. While around 54% of those surveyed were very worried in 2000, in 2013 this was only 31%. After 2014, this feeling grew again, and in 2023, 38% of respondents said they were worried about crime. This development shows that the social fears of crime and the regional crime burden are strongly correlated with each other: people in the People in the south of Germany often feel safer than their fellow citizens in the north, which is partly due to the different crime rates.

Citizen participation is what matters

The planned inspection in Südstadt-Bult follows a request from the city district council and aims to strengthen the residents' sense of security. The city needs the opinions of the population in order to make targeted changes to the infrastructure and security policy. Since subjective feelings of security are so diverse and depend heavily on individual experiences, broad citizen participation is essential in order to send a courageous signal for a safe and livable environment.

Those interested can find details about the safety inspection and the corresponding contact form on the website of Hannover.de.